Te amo
by Silva Bramley
Summary: Love is a beautiful thing. A collection of InoxKiba oneshots.
1. I can't stay mad at you

**A/N: Hello. Yes, this is a new story. And, yes, I'm aware that I still have other stories that need to be updated. But, this isn't really a story, it's more of a collection of oneshots. KibaxIno oneshots to be precise. And I'll just update it when I'm having writers block, like with me other stories. (well, I'm not having writers block with the NejixIno story, I just have to plan the next chap with Rae-chan) Soo. Enough of me babbling. On to InoxKiba goodness.**

I stomped angrily into the tent and plopped down onto my blanket. That Kiba could be so dumb sometimes. I heard someone enter the tent and my anger flared.

"Kiba! Go away! I don't want to ever see you again!" I called in anger. I felt a heavy weight on my back, and I twisted my head, to see Akamaru sitting on top of me. I struggled to free myself, but it was no use.

"Akamaruuuu, get off!" I cried, still struggling against the humongous dog.

"Not until you promise not to be mad anymore," Came Kiba's voice.

"Kiba! You baka! Don't you realize this is making me even more mad?!" I cried in frustration.

"That's why I won't get him off until you promise you won't be mad anymore," Kiba said.

"How do you know that I won't lie and say I won't be mad, when I will be?" I asked him, I might have laughed if I had enough air. With Akamaru on my back, I found it nearly impossible to take in more than shallow breaths.

"Because you're a woman of your word," Kiba said, sounding pleased with himself.

"Kiba! I swear, if you don't get this dog off my back I'll…I'll….I'll," I said, trying to think of a good threat.

"You'll what?" He asked. My blonde hair fell in my face, tickling my nose and causing me to get even more frustrated.

"I don't know, I'll do something, so horrible, you'll regret you even met me!" I threatened.

"I don't think I'll ever regret meeting you," Kiba said, his voice growing soft.

"YOU WILL IF YOU DON'T GET THIS DOG OFF OF ME RIGHT THIS MINUTE!" I shouted.

"Well, Akamaru isn't going anywhere until you promise that you aren't mad anymore and you forgive me," Kiba said. Suddenly, I had a plan.

"Akamaru, do you want a treat?" I asked, in a sweet voice.

"No, Akamaru."

"Akamaru, I have a special treat for you," I said, further tempting the dog. Akamaru whined and shifted above me. I smiled.

"Akamaru," Kiba warned.

"If you want the treat, you have to get off me," I said.

"That's low," Kiba growled.

"Making your dog sit on me is low," I retorted.

"Well, he won't move," Kiba said.

"Akamaru, I made it special for you. It has you're favorite in it," I said, having no clue what his favorite is.

"Akamaru, she doesn't even know what that is," Kiba said. Crap. Why did he have to know me so well?

"How about a walk?" I asked, changing my tactic.

"Akamaru, no, we just went on a walk."

"We can go through the woods," I added.

"Akamaru, stay."

"With all those big trees," Akamaru whined again.

"Stay," Kiba repeated.

"All those unmarked trees, just waiting for you to mark your territory," I said.

"No," Kiba, again.

"And you just drank a bunch of water," I recalled.

"Ino, stop it," Kiba ordered.

"spssssss," I imitated the sound of running water, ignoring Kiba. Akamaru was absolutely restless. I knew it was over.

"Go ahead, Akamaru," Kiba said, sighing in defeat. With a happy bark, Akamaru leapt off my back, relieving himself outside the tent. With a triumphant grin, I sat up.

"I win!" I said, turning to face Kiba.

"I guess you do, huh," Kiba said. I stood up and cracked my knuckles.

"Kiba, you are going to pay," I said, advancing on him.

"H-hey. I love you, and I told you I was sorry," He said, backing up.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," I said, coming in for the kill.

"I just didn't want you to be mad at me anymore!" Kiba exclaimed, getting desperate.

"So you thought having your dog sit on me would make my anger go away?" I asked with raised eyebrows. Kiba gulped.

"Pretty much," He said. His back was now against the green tent, I had him cornered. I smiled evilly.

"Kiba, that has to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard," I said, taking another step closer. I was almost within strangling distance.

"It didn't seem so bad earlier." I raised a fist in his face.

"Ready for the pain?" I asked him, drawing my hand back, preparing to put him in a world of hurt.

Thinking quickly, he wrapped his arms around my waist. With wide eyes, I realized what he was planning.

"No-" I started, but it was too late. I was already trapped. Kiba leaned in and kissed me, and I felt my anger dissolve.

I wound my arms around his neck, and leaned into his kiss more. No one was better than Kiba. He was the best person in the world, and I was so in love with him.

When he finally pulled away, I felt dazed and dizzy. I felt like I was going to fall, but Kiba held me up. I closed my eyes and leaned against his chest.

"I hate how much I love you," I growled into his jacket. His chest vibrated with his laughter. Kiba knew that I couldn't stay mad at him for long, it was my curse and his blessing.

"I love you," He said, stroking my hair.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too."


	2. Kiss me

**A/N: These oneshots keep coming to me. I don't know. I think I'm going to try to finish my next chapter of htlg next, but I'm not sure how to write the next part. Like, I have it all planned out, I just don't know how to write it. And I don't really like writing in third person anymore. Well. That's enough for rambling for now. (if anyone was wondering, te amo means I love you in spanish)**

I stared at her, with my eyebrows arched and my mouth hanging slightly open.

"What did you say?" I asked, needing her to repeat herself. I didn't think I heard her right.

"Kiba's been looking all over for you, he said it was important," Sakura answered, looking as clueless as myself.

"Kiba?" I asked.

"Yes," Sakura said.

"Is looking for me?"

"Yes," She repeated.

"…And it's important?"

"Yes," She answered, sounding like a broken record. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Why?" I asked, confused. Now that I was sure that she had said Kiba was looking for me, I needed to understand why.

"I don't know why. He just came up to me and asked me 'where Ino was' and when I told him that I hadn't seen you all day, he asked me to tell you he was looking for you," Sakura said with a shrug of her shoulders. I frowned.

"Well, I have no idea where to find him," I said, sighing in frustration.

"Maybe you should go ask Hinata," Sakura suggested. I nodded. That sounded good to me. I bid Sakura farewell, and headed off to search for the timid girl.

As I searched, I thought about Kiba and his search for me. Did I know Kiba? Not really. So why was he searching for me?

"Have you seen Hinata?" I asked Naruto.

"No, want to go eat some ramen?"

"No thanks, Naruto. Have you seen Kiba?" I asked.

"Kiba?" He asked, looking surprised.

"It surprised me too. I guess he's looking for me," I answered.

"I saw him earlier, he was over by the flower shop," Naruto said, still looking shocked.

"Well, I guess I'll go by there," I said, waving good bye to the other blonde. I sighed, and walked in the direction of the Yamanka Flower Shop. Well, if someone wanted to find me, that was the place to look. Except today, I'd been training all day with my team.

"Ino!" A deep, slightly familiar voice called.

I turned around. There he was. Kiba, the boy who was looking for me. The boy who was confusing me. The boy who I barely knew. The boy…who had grown up into a handsome young man.

"Yeah?" I asked, when he was within conversation distance.

"I've been looking all over for you," Kiba said.

"So I've heard," I said, smiling kindly. He scratched the back of his neck.

"From Sakura?" He asked. I nodded.

"Why?" I asked, after a few awkward moments.

Kiba didn't answer me right away. He craned his neck and looked west. He seemed to be studying something far off, but I had no idea what.

"There was something I wanted to show you," Kiba said, looking back at me and finally answering.

"Something you wanted to show me?" I repeated, stunned.

"Yah, and we're running out of time," He said, grabbing onto my hand. I had no time to react, because he began dragging me through the streets.

"Where are we going?" I called out, as we ran.

"It's a surprise! Hurry up, or we'll miss it!" He called back. I furrowed my brows. Where was he bringing me? I struggled to keep up with his fast pace. When did he get so fast?

"I'm trying!" I yelled, "Are we almost there yet?"

"Almost!" Kiba said, laughing. I wanted to frown, because he wasn't even breathing hard, while I was heaving. But I couldn't, this was so ridiculous I found myself laughing along with him.

After a while, we left town and ventured into the woods. It was even harder to keep up with him now, because not only did I have to match his speed, but watch out for obstacles.

"We're here," Kiba said, leading me to the top of a hill. I gave him a confused look, before reaching the top. I gasped.

"It's so beautiful," I murmured. Stretched out below us, was a vast meadow of flowers. The colors were so alive, with large blossoms and insects chirping in the background. To complete the beauty, a sunset hung in the western sky.

"You like it?" He asked, looking slightly nervous. I smiled.

"Yeah, I never knew this was even here," I said, still in awe. Kiba sat down, and I sat down beside him.

"Me and Akamaru stumbled on it when we were on a walk and it reminded me of you," He said, looking out at the sunset. I turned to look at him, studying his face. Was he hitting on me?

"Kiba?" I asked. Kiba turned to meet my eyes.

"Hm?"

"Are you hitting on me?" I asked, deciding to be straight forward.

"Maybe, maybe not," He answered with a chuckle. Quiet fell on us for a bit, as the sun descended further below the horizon. The colors painted themselves across the sky, in an array of blues, pinks, reds, and oranges. Matching the flowers below.

"Wow," I whispered, the sun almost completely set. Kiba moved closer to me, and I turned my attention back to him, smiling.

"I can't believe how beautiful this is," I raved, "I'm sad that it's almost over."

"Don't be, the best part hasn't come yet," Kiba answered. What did he mean by that?

The sun sunk completely below the horizon and the moon began it's rise. It was full tonight, and it's pale light revealed the best part Kiba had been talking about. Under the queen of the night, beautiful white flowers blossomed. Fireflies flew amongst the night bloomers, creating a magical effect.

I sucked in a breath, it was perfect, all too perfect. I turned to look at Kiba, but he was standing up. I shot him a questioning look, and he extended a hand to me.

"Come on, Ino," He said quietly, adding to the enchanting atmosphere. I reached out my hand, and placed it in his. Kiba pulled me gently to my feet…

…and then pushed me. A yelp escaped my lips, as I fell down the hill backwards. Landing on the soft grass, I began tumbling down side ways, similar to a child rolling down a hill for fun. When I reached the bottom, I was dizzy and laughing hysterically. I yelped again as Kiba's form came crashing into mine.

For a few minutes, we were a laughing, dizzy tangled heap. Once we had organized our limbs, we both sat up, still laughing all the time.

There was a grass stain on my skirt, but before I had time to really think about it, Kiba's laughs quieted. I looked up at him, and saw that he was looking back at me.

"Kiba, no one has ever done anything like this for me before," I said, gesturing to the white flowers surrounding us.

"The flowers reminded me of you, they were so bright and pretty," He murmured. I smiled at him.

"Oh, Kiba, you romantic fool, just kiss me already!" I shouted. With a sly grin, Kiba leaned in for his prize.

And, honestly, Kiba was a wonderful kisser.


	3. Comfort

**A/N: Hola! Here's another oneshot for you guys! This one is...AU...I think that's what it's called. It's in our world...yep. Well, I thought I'd post this before I started on my story for spanish 3. Hasta Luego! (until later!)**

I was wiping down the counter when I heard the door open. It swung open with a creak, and creaked in protest again as it closed. I heard his foot steps, as he crossed the living room and sat on the couch. Putting the rag down and I crept to the doorframe separating the kitchen from the living room.

I saw him sitting on the couch, and prowled to the couch with a smile. I climbed up on the cushions and crawled over to his side.

"Officer, I've been a reeeeal bad girl," I purred seductively in his ear, while tracing his sleeve. Kiba sighed.

"Ino…," He said. I frowned.

"What's the matter, sweet heart?" I asked. He turned to look at me, and I saw that he was holding back tears.

"Akamaru got shot," Kiba said, looking down at his hands. I gasped.

"Oh no, Kiba," I said, reaching out with a sympathetic hand. Kiba was very close with his police dog, they had been through lots together.

"Is…is he ok?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer I would receive.

"He's at the vet now," Kiba answered.

"Why aren't you with him, then?" I asked him, rubbing his arm.

"They kicked me out. They said I needed to go home and get some rest, the surgery is tomorrow," Kiba said, putting his face into his hands. I rubbed his back.

"Kiba, it's ok to cry," I said. _"Even though it's weird when guys cry,"_ I thought.

He shook his head.

"I'll go with you tomorrow," I said, after going over the plans I had tomorrow in my head. Sakura would understand if I canceled our lunch date, right?

"Thanks," He murmured in a tear-choked voice. I wrapped my arms around him, and he rested his head in the nook where my shoulder and neck met.

I comforted him for a while, but after about twenty minutes, he stood up.

"I think I'm going to go to bed, it's been a stressful day," Kiba said. I nodded.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, I need to finish cleaning up and call Sakura," I told him.

He nodded, leaving the living room and heading into the bedroom. I picked up the cordless phone and sat down on the couch with a sigh.

Kiba really needed me right now.

"Hello, Sakura?" I said, after dialing and waiting for an answer.

"Ino?" Came her reply.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to cancel lunch tomorrow," I said.

"What? Why? You can't just cancel on me!" Sakura protested. I rubbed my forehead with my hand, and leaned forward.

"Sakura, I have to. Kiba needs me, Akamaru got shot today," I said, keeping my voice quiet.

"Shot? As in, by a gun?" Sakura asked.

"How else would he get shot?" I asked, with a humorless laugh.

"Well, he could have been shot with needles," Sakura defended.

"Then I would have said Akamaru got shots, not got shot. Anyway, why would I cancel our lunch for Akamaru getting shots?" I asked, running my hand through my long blonde hair.

"Whatever," Sakura muttered, defeated. I smiled.

"I'll make it up to you. We'll do it another day, and I'll pay for canceling," I said, struggling to make amends.

"Is he ok?" Sakura asked.

"Akamaru or Kiba?"

"Both."

"Well," I sighed, "Kiba said Akamaru was at the vet, and that he wasn't dead, but I don't know that much about his condition. As for Kiba, he's taking it really hard."

"Aw, that's too bad," Sakura said.

"Yeah," I said. There was a pause and then, "Well, I should go."

"Ok, Bye," Sakura said in farewell.

"Bye," I said, listening as there was a click and then a dial tone. I sat there a few seconds, dazed, before finally remembering the phone and hanging it up.

I walked over to our bedroom and faltered at the door. I took a deep, steadying breath, before entering.

"Kiba…?" I asked hesitantly.

"In bed," Kiba said. I changed into some comfortable pajamas, before climbing into bed beside him. I scooted closer to him and wrapped my arm around his.

"Want to talk?" I asked, resting my head next to his.

"Not really," He said quietly.

"That's ok, just remember that I'm here for you," I told him.

"I love you," He said affectionately.

"I love you more," I challenged.

"You win," He gave in.

"You didn't even try!" I mock pouted.

"Well, I love you more, but you would never believe me, so I thought I'd just save the trouble and let you win," Kiba explained. I smiled, glad that I had cheered him up a little.

"I hope Akamaru is going to be ok," I murmured.

"Me too," He said.

"We'll go see him first thing in the morning, ok?" I offered.

"Ok, goodnight,"

"Goodnight," I said. I closed my eyes and it was silent for a few minutes.

"I still love you more," I said. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his chest.

---

"Akamaru is going into surgery in a few minutes," The veterinarian announced. Kiba sat forward in his chair with a groan.

"Ugh, I wish I could go in there with him!" He complained.

"We'll get to see him when it's all over," I said, rubbing his back.

"I'm just really nervous," Kiba said. He didn't have to tell me, I could see it.

"I know you are, but you're just going to have to sit tight until it's over."

"I wish it would be over already!" He said, putting his head in his hands. _This is making me worry about his mental health._

"Kiba, everything's going to be ok. Akamaru will be fine," I reassured him.

---

"Mr. Inuzuka?"

"That's me," Kiba said, standing up eagerly.

"How's Akamaru?" I asked, standing up next to him.

"Akamaru is just fine, but he will need to rest before he can go back to being a police dog," The veterinarian said.

"He's ok," Kiba said, looking overwhelmed. I laughed and hugged him.

"He's ok!" I echoed.

We danced around in the lobby singing "He's ok!" until the veterinarian asked us if we wanted to see him, a bright smile on her face.

"Yes!" I said.

"Right now, if we can!" Kiba practically shouted.

"He's ok!" I said again, as we walked together towards the room.

"Thanks, babe," Kiba said, grabbing me and pulling me into a kiss.

"You're welcome," I said, dazed after the kiss ended.

"Are you guys coming?" The veterinarian asked, sticking her head out the door.

"Yeah," Kiba said, and we both went in.

"ARF! ARF!"

"Akamaru!"


	4. Shoo, cat

**A/N: This one shot was sparked when I was cleaning and my cat kept winding between my feet. Somehow, it took a life of it's own and ended in such a way that even I didn't expect it. So read, and maybe you'll be as surprised as I was. **

**Hopefully, I can get some more oneshots up. I have several half-written one shots.**

"Shoo, cat," I said, prodding the cat with a sandal-clad foot. It stared up at me with those eerie, yellow eyes and began to purr. I frowned and pushed it away. It returned. I kept pushing it away, only for it to return almost immediately.

I sighed and gave up, ignoring it as it wound itself between my legs and around my body.

Just about when I was used to the cat's presence, and even considering petting it-it was cute enough and it's fur was soft-, it's fur stuck up, it's tail was almost completely vertical, and it was hissing.

It backed up a few steps, before turning and high-tailing it off into the tall grasses.

Puzzled, I casually shrugged my shoulders and returned to my thoughts the cat had interrupted.

Seconds later, I found the reason for the cat's flight. The reason was Akamaru, the used-to-be-small-but-now-large, white nin dog that never strayed too far from Kiba. To support this theory, Kiba climbed over the hill, up onto the crest where I could see him.

"Oh, Ino," Kiba said, stretching his arms up over his head, "What are you doing here?"

"What? Do you own this place?" I asked, in my usual confident manner.

"No, I just didn't expect to see you up here," Kiba said, grinning.

"Well, to answer your question, I was thinking. Pondering," I said, grinning slyly back at him.

"Yamanaka Ino…thinking?" Kiba teased. I playfully kicked at him from my perch on the low tree branch.

"Did you hear that Sasuke was back?" I asked, trying to sound casual about it, but at the same time answering his implied question.

"Oh," Kiba said, as if that explained everything.

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" I demanded.

"Well," Kiba started, scratching his red fang-marked cheek absently, "You did like him…a lot…before he left."

"Everyone liked him. He was the essence of perfection," I said, twirling a blonde lock around my finger.

Kiba snorted.

"Essence of perfection," He repeated, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You sound bitter," I said, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Why wouldn't I? He almost got Akamaru killed, not to mention me and most of your squad," Kiba said, his voice filled with passionate anger.

I hesitated in answering, forgetting the retort that had been ready on my tongue if he had insulted Sasuke-kun, and traced the pattern in the bark of the limb I was sitting on.

I felt bad. I ducked my head, keeping my eyes down, and continued to trace the bark. Kiba had a reason to be angry. I had a reason to be angry. But I wasn't. It was hard to be mad at Sasuke. It was easier while he had been gone, but now he was back. He was here, in presence, not just in memory.

It was a lot harder to be angry when his smile turned my legs to jelly-not that he smiled often in the first place-, when being near him stole my breath and my words.

I wasn't angry, but I did feel bad for Kiba.

I peeked up to look at Kiba's face, and saw that he wasn't angry anymore. He looked…sympathetic.

"You were sad when he left, weren't you?" He asked, almost rhetorically. I nodded.

"I was," I said softly, "I was also angry. But, I'm not anymore."

"Why?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, in a dog-like fashion.

"I…you wouldn't understand," I said, "Besides, that's personal."

Kiba climbed up on the low branch, settling beside me.

"Is that what you came here to think about?" He asked.

"That question is personal, too," I said, scowling at him.

"If you aren't mad at him anymore, then why did you have to come here and think about him?" Kiba pressed.

"I never said I was thinking about him-," I said, rushing to correct his assumption.

"If you're not mad, then what is it? If not Sasuke, then what?" Kiba said, swinging his legs and looking me in the eye.

"Ok, I am here thinking about Sasuke, but not because I'm mad at him," I said, then snapped, "Would you stop doing that!?"

I grabbed his leg and squeezed it painfully, until he stopped swinging his legs. It was annoying and distracting. Come to think of it, I hadn't accomplished any thinking with Kiba here.

"Kiba, I'm trying to think, and I can't with you here," I said, pushing against him.

"But I just want to help you," Kiba said, unmoving, much like a boulder.

"But, why?" I questioned, since it was my turn in this asking game.

"Because you're a teammate, and because this is the place I come to think, so until you leave, I can't think," Kiba said, his grin exposing pointy canines.

"Inuzuka Kiba…thinking?" I said, mocking shock.

"Yep. Now tell Kiba your problems, kid," Kiba said, ruffling my hair.

I bended back, out of his reach, and fixed my hair the best I could without a mirror and a brush, meanwhile scowling at him.

When I sat back up straight, I fixed him with a stern look.

"Can you handle a girl crying?" I asked.

"I can handle an s-class nin and his brother, I'm sure I can handle some tears," Kiba said, though looking slightly worried.

I decided against reminding him that Kankurou had come to his rescue.

"Ok, I'll tell you, but I might start crying," I said, deciding it was best he knew what he was getting himself into.

Kiba turned to face me, settling his hands into his lap and looking genuinely interested. I took a deep breath before I started.

"As you now know, Sasuke is back," I began, and he nodded, "Well, I'm pretty sure Sakura still likes him. And I know I still like him. A lot."

"So you're afraid that Sasuke will ruin your friendship again?" Kiba interrupted.

"That…and I'm also worried about my own jealousy," I admitted, just thinking about it made my eyes swim with tears. Kiba's brow wrinkled in concern, and he leaned in closer to me.

"Your own jealousy?" Kiba repeated, urging me to explain further.

"If Sasuke picks Sakura, I don't know if I'll be able to accept it. Let alone bear it," I said, the words rushing out of my mouth now, "Sakura already has so much more than me. She has super strength punches, she has incredible medic-nin skills, she has a sharp mind, quick reflexes."

I closed my eyes and buried my face into my hands.

"If he picks her, I'll be stuck wondering why he didn't pick me. Was I not beautiful enough? Not skinny enough? Not smart enough? Not strong enough?" I said, feeling tears prickling at my eyes, asking to be set free.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder, and looked up to see Kiba pulling me close to him.

"Ino, you're more than beautiful enough. More than skinny enough. More than smart enough. More than strong enough. More than compassionate enough. If Sasuke can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you," Kiba said.

I pulled away from him and looked him in the eye.

"You're just saying that so I'll feel better," I accused.

"No, Ino, it's the truth," Kiba said.

Then it was quiet. A few leaves drifted to the ground lazily, lost from sight in the tall grasses surrounding the big tree with branches reaching higher than any other tree, and starting lower than the rest. Among the trees, Akamaru frolicked in the tall grasses. Chasing leaping grasshoppers, perhaps trying to find the cat.

"Do you really like him that much?" Kiba asked, breaking the silence and drawing me back out of my thoughts.

"Yes, I do," I answered without hesitation.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," I said.

"What is his favorite color?" Kiba asked.

"What?"

"His favorite color, what is it?" He repeated.

"I don't know, what does that have to do with anything?" I said, casting him a you-are-crazy look.

"If you really loved him, you'd know that kind of stuff about him," Kiba said.

"I know he likes long hair," I said, defending myself and my self-proclaimed love for the Uchiha.

"Have you confirmed that with him? Have you ever actually had a conversation with him?" Kiba pressed.

"No," I admitted.

"Ino, you're favorite color is purple. You love watching the stars, enjoy working in the shop. You appreciate beauty and art. You like a good romance novel. You care much about your family, friends and teammates. You adore anything to do with fashion. You're always in the know," Kiba said, listing all the things he'd learned about her.

"You sound like a stalker, you know?" I teased, playfully.

"I'm just trying to say-," Kiba started.

"I know, I know. If I'm to have a chance with Sasuke, I have to learn about him. As a friend, instead of a prize to win," I interrupted, "Many friendships lead to relationships. I need to get to know him and he needs to get to know me."

I hugged him briefly and leapt from the branch.

"Thanks, Kiba!" I called, waving at him and running down the path, which led me to Sasuke and my future.

--

"I'm just trying to say," Kiba repeated, watching Ino run further and further away from him, "That I love you."


	5. Fine Threads

A fine thread seemed to be the only thing keeping Ino from slipping into the wonderful, refreshing, amazing, lovely, awesome, desirable, fabulous world of sleep. And that fine thread, as the blonde stood at the gates with her head slowly slipping downwards, was threatening to snap.

Earlier that night – or should she say last night since it's technically morning, now? – she had returned from a particularly long and exhausting mission. For the past month she'd been undercover in an overturned government, waiting for just the right moment to assassinate the rebel leaders.

For four weary weeks, she had been in an extremely delicate and dangerous position, pretending to be a mercenary interested in the rebel cause while secretly plotting to murder the notorious, but elusive, men in charge. Ino had needed more time, she was still uneasy with the plan even though she'd made herself familiar with the hideout's layout and schedule, but the mission contract demanded the rebel leaders' deaths by the end of the month.

So, when the deadline neared she nervously went ahead with her plan. It had worked out fine in the beginning, the first seven men died silently that night, but she had no information of the eighth one having a mistress. When Ino crept to his room, his lady friend was leaving. The blonde was spotted before she had a chance to hide, and had to act quickly.

She successfully assassinated all eight men, but the woman had gotten away (mainly because Ino didn't have the time or the heart to kill her) and alerted the guards. Ino had little time to slip away and was forced to keep a hard pace all the way home. To make matters even worse, Ino stumbled into the middle of a fight halfway home and had to intervene to save some genin she recognized from Konoha. By the time Ino had arrived, two of the fledglings had been knocked out, the sensei was critically injured, and the only one remaining was at his breaking point, barely keeping the attackers off. It was clear the genin team had bitten off more than they could chew.

Ino was hesitant to join the battle at first, being by herself and already weary from her tussle with the eighth leader and her fast pace, but couldn't just leave the team to die. It was one of those missions where the level had been falsely reduced due to insufficient funds, submitted as a C-rank mission when it was really S-class.

The battle dragged on and on, to the point where Ino feared that her pursuers would catch up, making her pervious hard pace pointless. Her fears weren't too off base: one of the teams (Ino had checked, there were currently five teams chasing her) reached the battle scene just as it was ending. Luckily, about the only lucky thing that had happened to her out of the whole damn mission, the sensei had recovered somewhat and the three of them – Ino, the sensei, and the only conscious genin – managed to defeat the attackers and Ino's pursuers.

The problems didn't end with the battle, though. There were the other four teams following her, and the genin team could barely stand. Hard pressed for time and low on chakra, Ino did what she could to heal the sensei and genins. She wasn't able to wake the two unconscious genin, so she and the sensei had to carry them. The sensei had suggested that they make camp and leave in the morning when they were somewhat refreshed, but changed his mind once Ino, maybe a tad bit forcefully, explained the situation she was in. The teams chased them all the way to the fire country's borders, not daring enough to enter such a strong territory where Ino would be able to secure back up.

So, she arrived in the Hokage's office exhausted, chakra-depleted, beaten up, and carrying a child, ready to be done with the mission and sent to bed. But, the Hokage had a different idea in mind. Lady Tsunade sent the genin team to the hospital and sent Ino to the gates for – oh joy! – guard duty.

That was why Ino leaned against the gates, nearly asleep on her feet. Her head slipped further down, giving her the sensation of falling and jolting her awake. She reached for her weapons pouch and glanced around wildly before realizing that there was no threat.

"This is no good," Ino mumbled, rubbing her eyes. The leaf village had already been destroyed once because of intruders, so it wouldn't do to fall asleep while guarding the gates. Also, it'd look pretty bad on her Shinobi transcript. Ino had experienced extreme exhaustion during missions before, so she knew that the most effective way to stay awake was to find something to focus on.

She began to invent games. How many flowers could she spot and classify in two minutes? What were the names of all the genin sensei this year? And last year? What are the concepts of the Yamanaka clan's jutsu? What was that noise? Who was the-

Wait, what was that noise? Ino peered down the path and saw two dark blobs heading in her direction. She gripped a kunai in her hand, even though the blobs didn't seem to be hostile. If they were going to attack, they wouldn't have revealed themselves so early.

As the blobs neared, she identified them as Kiba and Akamaru. They must have had a rough time on their mission as well, both of them in rough condition. Akamaru was limping and Kiba looked dead on his feet, like he would lose consciousness any minute.

When they approached the gate, Ino held up her hand to stop them. "What's your mother's name?"

"Inuzuka Tsume," Kiba answered, clutching his arm to his side and leaning heavily on Akamaru.

"What was the last thing I said to you before I left on my mission?" Ino asked.

"See you later, Dog-boy," Kiba answered easily. Ino relaxed, sure that this was the real Kiba and not some imposter. 'Dog-boy' looked concerned. "What's with the questions? Is Konoha on high security?"

"No," Ino said. She felt a little foolish, but defended herself anyway. "I just don't want enemies to infiltrate on my watch."

"Oh," Kiba said. He gave her a once over, "When did you return from your mission? You look terrible."

"Thanks a lot, Dog-boy," Ino said, rolling her eyes. Before he could protest, she continued, "About four hours ago. You look pretty bad yourself, what happened to you two?"

"Akamaru and I were ambushed just outside the borders – hey, should you be doing that?" While he was talking, Ino had begun to heal his injured arm.

"Why shouldn't I? If I don't heal you, you might not even make it to the hospital wing, let alone the Hokage's office," Ino said, continuing to heal his arm.

"Well, you look like you're going to fall over. You can't have much chakra left. Why would Tsunade-sama have you guard right after returning?" Kiba asked.

"We're low on Shinobi at the minute, what with Naruto and them gone to…," Ino suddenly realized something. "Wait! Did you say you were ambushed on the outside of the border?"

"Yeah, why?" Kiba looked at her closely. "Don't tell me it's because of you!"

With Kiba giving her such a vicious look, Ino was reluctant to tell him that it _was_ because of her. But, she didn't want add lie to him after apparently causing him so much trouble and told him about her mission's horrible mess of an ending.

"Just leaving all those rebels at the border is sloppy, Ino," Kiba said, his face contorted with anger. "Akamaru and I barely made it through with our lives intact."

"I didn't have a choice! I was being pursued by five teams and there was a nearly dead genin team that I had to get home. I wasn't really in the position to deal with that!" Ino said, her own anger rising. Was she supposed to be able to do everything!?

"You should have dealt with your followers immediately!" Kiba said. Akamaru whined at the tense atmosphere.

"I'm sorry you and Akamaru were injured, but am I supposed to be some sort of super being!? I only did what I could given the circumstances!" Ino said, clenching both her fists now that she was finished with her quick healing job. "You're healed enough to get to the Hokage's office, so go!"

Once Kiba and Akamaru were out of sight, Ino sighed and fell back against the gate. She was so tired and her head ached horribly. She just wished the night would end. Ino began to drill herself again. What was the first Hokage's wife's name? Who visits the flower shop most often? How could she have done the mission differently to anticipate flaws like the mistress?

Forty minutes into her game, Ino heard footsteps from inside the village. She turned around to see Kiba returning. He was all bandaged up and looked just as exhausted as before.

"Ino, go to bed," Kiba said. Ino was surprised.

"Kiba -?"

"Tsunade-sama is letting me replace you. I'm injured, but you're injured and tired. Go get some rest," Kiba said.

Ino wanted to protest, but she was so exhausted that she was mostly thankful and just accepted his offer. She tackle hugged him, resting her cheek on his chest. "Thank you, Kiba-san."

His uninjured arm wrapped around her to return the hug and Ino didn't want to pull away. But, her eyes were drifting shut and if she didn't go she'd fall asleep right then and there. Not to mention the hug was only meant to be brief and was beginning to grow awkward as it grew long.

"Good night," Kiba said.

"Good night," Ino replied. As she walked away, she decided to sleep for three hours and then return so Kiba could get some rest, too.


End file.
